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Writer's pictureP Xenos and M Bacina

Opera Browser adds Apple Pay and delivers on debit card digital currency purchase promise

Updated: May 2

The Opera browser app has partnered with e-payments startup Wyre to expand the capability of Opera's built-in wallet. This partnership is set to bring Apple Pay functionality to the iOS version of Opera, and debit card integration for the Android version.


Users are now able to purchase up to $250 in Bitcoin or Ether directly through the browser daily. Each purchase will incur a 30 cent fee on top of a 2.9 percent transaction commission.


Opera’s Head of Crypto Charles Hamel stated that this is not intended to appeal to investors and speculators, but to decentralised app (dApp) developers and day-to-day users, saying:

As our browser-based wallet is focused around the usage of cryptocurrencies on the web and using dApps, we expect the vast majority of transactions will not hit that limit.

Opera, in its mission to become the "go-to browser" for Web 3.0, has announced its support for TRON’s TRX and other TRC-standard tokens within its browser, developed an Ethereum dApp-compatible desktop version, and among a wealth of other built-in blockchain features, installed crypto mining protective layers to secure its system.


Hamel also hailed "on-the-go fiat on-ramps", saying:

On-the-go fiat on-ramps make it yet more simple for Opera’s dapp-using community to interact with blockchain projects.

This announcement comes as a further step in Opera’s strategy to eliminate the hurdles associated with the use of cryptocurrencies on the web. In December of 2018, the Norwegian company introduced the first blockchain-enabled browser, Opera for Android, with a built-in crypto wallet and d'App explorer.

Opera then proceeded to add a built-in crypto wallet to its desktop browser as well as to its iOS browser, Opera Touch. It later introduced crypto-purchases in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and is now expanding them to the United States. No word yet on when this will be available in Australia but there are businesses working on crypto connected cards including Piper Alderman client CryptoSpend.

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